Numerous shifts have occurred in lower-level leadership at Ithaca College since President Shirley M. Collado took office. While some occurred organically, others were a direct result of structural changes made by Collado’s administration.
Among these shifts is a change in director for the Integrated Core Curriculum program and a new position in the Title IX office to address an increase in sexual assaults and rape cases at the college. Other shifts in leadership include a new director in Hammond Health Center, new incoming leadership in Student Accessibility Services and a newly hired director for religious and spiritual life.
Integrative Core Curriculum
Susan Adams Delaney, associate professor in the Department of Writing, will serve as interim director of the ICC during the 2018–19 academic year.
The former director, Vincent DeTuri, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, has served in the position since May 2015. He accepted a new job offer as associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at SUNY Cortland starting this fall.
Delaney has served as a chair of the Committee for College-Wide Requirements, a subcommittee of the ICC, since the inception of the ICC during the 2013–14 academic year. Delaney said she joined the committee because she was concerned about how the ICC would affect the writing department.
DeTuri left during a critical time — this academic year, the college will be conducting a review of the ICC. La Jerne Cornish, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, has selected the co-chairs for the committee, Dave Maley, senior associate director of media relations, said. He said the president’s office will reveal the co-chairs at the same time that the membership of the review team is announced. The review aims to improve the functionality and efficiency of the ICC. Additionally, in the review from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the review team made numerous recommendations to improve the ICC. Recommendations are binding, meaning the college is required to implement the changes.
Delaney said she will advocate for students to be part of the review process. During her time serving the position, she said that she is enthusiastic about identifying problems within the program through the review in order to implement changes.
“I don’t have any specific goals for changing the ICC,” Delaney said. “I think my job is to really listen closely to follow what is happening, to make sure that current policies and procedures are followed accurately and communicated clearly, and then, to work with everybody once we have that full review to take those next steps.”
Title IX
The Title IX Office has hired Maggie Wetter for a new position as Deputy Coordinator for the Division of Human and Legal Resources to address the increase in reports of sexual harassment, assault and rape at the college.
Title IX Coordinator Linda Koenig said the deputy coordinator for legal affairs position will help her conduct investigations and inform survivors of their resources. The position will also manage the faculty and staff resources within the office. Wetter was previously the assistant director for staff and programs for the Office of Residential Life.
Wetter said she hopes to make the community aware of its resources.
“My goals in the new position includes getting to know the campus community better in order to train and outreach to as many offices and student groups as possible,” Wetter said. “It is important that everyone know their rights as it relates to Title IX.”
So far in 2018, there have been 11 accounts of either forcible touching, sexual misconduct, assault or rape reported on campus. In 2017, there were 14 reports of either forcible touching, sexual misconduct, rape or rape in the third degree. In 2016, there were 10 reports of either forcible touching, sexual abuse or rape. In 2015, there were 9 reports of either forcible touching, sexual abuse, criminal sexual acts or rape, according to the Crime and Fire Safety Logs.
Director for religious and spiritual life
Collado announced at the All-College Gathering on Aug. 23 that the college hired Hierald Edgardo Osoroto as the new director for religious and spiritual life. Rosanna Ferro, vice president of the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life, said she created the position to provide oversight of all programs within Muller Chapel because, despite receiving funding from the college, religious leaders are not college employees.
In the past, LGBTQ students have reported feeling excluded from the Protestant community on campus, which is one issue that the new position aims to amend. The position was prompted by a proposal requesting improvements to religious programs in the chapel and other faith-based communities on campus. In this proposal, students also requested that a Muslim leader be brought to the college.
Student Accessibility Services
Leslie Reid stepped down from her position as manager of SAS on July 20. Sally Neal, director of the Center for Academic Advancement, said Reid took a new position at a local college because the commute to the college was tolling.
The college hired Kelly Robinson as manager and created a new position for an assistant manager. Ian Moore, who previously worked at George Mason University as a training and technical assistance specialist at the Helen A. Keller Institute for Human Disabilities, will be taking on the position. Additionally, Jean Celeste-Astorina, a specialist at SAS, has retired. Both Robinson and Moore will begin their positions Sept. 17.
CAPS
Deborah Harper has retired from her position as director for the Center for Counseling, Health and Wellness. Sasha Lerner and Alice Meilman, both counselors at CAPS, are now serving as interim co-directors. Additionally, Vivano Lorenzo has stepped down from her position as a physician and medical services director at CAPS.
Contributing reporting from Staff Writer Phoebe Harms and Assistant News Editors Maggie McAden and Laura O’Brien
